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rcpope's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
owlyreadsalot's review against another edition
2.0
Where to start with this novel... it was so much to take in. I really wanted to love this read, and with a beginning like the one The Waking Land had, I felt like it was going to quickly become a favorite. Somehow, it was the exact opposite of it. It wasn't that I didn't enjoy any of it, or that it didn't have that magical feel I was hoping for, it just had too much of it. Along with a bit of a creepy factor I wasn't expecting, it was a little off putting.
Even with that I hoped that the characters would make this story much more interesting for me and put some of those other feels behind me, but sadly that was not at all what happened. I didn't connect with many of the characters and I feel like a big part of it could have been that there were so many of them and they were on constant rotation (yes, that's how it felt for me). I was not very fond of Elanna, and that was not for lack of trying, she just didn't have any traits or qualities that set her apart, even having the land in her corner.
As it moved along, I hoped the love story that played out would sway me more in the direction of great reads, and that also felt a little bit of a let down. Don't get me wrong, Jahan was more of a likeable character than Elanna's, but that bond they were forming felt a little unbelievable. He was in and out of the picture often and not much she could really trust as he wasn't even someone she'd known until all the chaos ensued. What really set me off from this romance was the way they cemented their new relationship. It was definitely cringe worthy.
That's where it really gets even weirder and not a good shocking moment, at all. I loved that she had the ability to use the land at will, being able to defend those that needed, or get herself out of a deadly situation, but it was the bond she had to form to really be part of the land that I couldn't stomach (there enters her love and the extremely squeamish scene in the novel). Even more, was what she had to give up for having to wed the land because yes she actually became its bride.
While I enjoyed the parts of the magic involved and the story it began with, how the king was not as he portrayed himself to be, or what her people truly represented, even the fact that she was fighting to defend the freedom and unity of the people, everything else seemed to have dragged on. While all of that happened, even more characters were being introduced and being killed off or removed for one reason or another. I felt like I could have really liked this novel more if a good amount of that had been omitted, and the whole connecting with the land for all its power was not so disturbing. It just wasn't what I was hoping for.
Even with that I hoped that the characters would make this story much more interesting for me and put some of those other feels behind me, but sadly that was not at all what happened. I didn't connect with many of the characters and I feel like a big part of it could have been that there were so many of them and they were on constant rotation (yes, that's how it felt for me). I was not very fond of Elanna, and that was not for lack of trying, she just didn't have any traits or qualities that set her apart, even having the land in her corner.
As it moved along, I hoped the love story that played out would sway me more in the direction of great reads, and that also felt a little bit of a let down. Don't get me wrong, Jahan was more of a likeable character than Elanna's, but that bond they were forming felt a little unbelievable. He was in and out of the picture often and not much she could really trust as he wasn't even someone she'd known until all the chaos ensued. What really set me off from this romance was the way they cemented their new relationship. It was definitely cringe worthy.
That's where it really gets even weirder and not a good shocking moment, at all. I loved that she had the ability to use the land at will, being able to defend those that needed, or get herself out of a deadly situation, but it was the bond she had to form to really be part of the land that I couldn't stomach (there enters her love and the extremely squeamish scene in the novel). Even more, was what she had to give up for having to wed the land because yes she actually became its bride.
While I enjoyed the parts of the magic involved and the story it began with, how the king was not as he portrayed himself to be, or what her people truly represented, even the fact that she was fighting to defend the freedom and unity of the people, everything else seemed to have dragged on. While all of that happened, even more characters were being introduced and being killed off or removed for one reason or another. I felt like I could have really liked this novel more if a good amount of that had been omitted, and the whole connecting with the land for all its power was not so disturbing. It just wasn't what I was hoping for.
judascomplex's review against another edition
4.0
It's hard to invoke memories of famous books like Lord of the Rings without making it feel like you ripped something off. But Bates does it flawlessly. The mountain people and Helm's Deep, the army of the ancestors... It was a joy to see that LotR had been an influence on Bates' writing, and that I wasn't likely the only one to see that! Just enough similarity to call on a memory, and different enough to feel like an entirely different concept. The plot isn't anything new, but it didn't need to be. The characters were fantastic and well-thought-out. With that, enough guesswork to make the specifics of the ending uncertain, and just the right amount of heartbreak, this was well worth the read. 4 stars.
nattyg's review against another edition
4.0
Loved the concept. Hard to muddle with a MC who was rather whimpering and running away. Although she steps up greatly at the end.
rldepencier's review against another edition
3.0
Really enjoyed this book! The plot was interesting and the characters were complex. Bates has built a world with incredible depth, that seems to have many stories yet untold.
The book does feel disjointed in some places, as many first novels do, but it doesn’t do much to take away from the story.
Greatly enjoyed.
The book does feel disjointed in some places, as many first novels do, but it doesn’t do much to take away from the story.
Greatly enjoyed.
ipomoea's review against another edition
3.0
I received a copy of this from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This was pitched on review sites as perfect for fans of Sarah J. Maas, which meant I was definitely wanted to read it. However, upon finishing the book, I don't know that I'd suggest it to someone antsy after the last Throne of Glass book.
Elanna's been held hostage by a neighboring king for 14 years and has internalized everything they've taught her about her homeland. When the king is killed, Elanna is framed for it and must escape certain death. That escape leads her to the leaders of her homeland rebellion, the people desperate to free Caeris. At first, Elanna's skeptical of their cause, but when she can no longer deny her own magic, she becomes dedicated to the cause. And because it's YA fantasy, there's a romance.
The good: I really like the concept of Caeris as a land-- semi-sentient, guarded, the shifts. I liked that Elanna was, of all things, a botanist, which ties in well to her role in Caeris.
The bad: I had a hard time getting into this, and at times, it felt SO LONG and disjointed. I couldn't work up to caring about the love interest or what would happen to Elanna, because of COURSE she'd come out all right in the end, and she wasn't engaging enough for me as a character. This felt very much like a first book, but I'll still read any sequels.
This was pitched on review sites as perfect for fans of Sarah J. Maas, which meant I was definitely wanted to read it. However, upon finishing the book, I don't know that I'd suggest it to someone antsy after the last Throne of Glass book.
Elanna's been held hostage by a neighboring king for 14 years and has internalized everything they've taught her about her homeland. When the king is killed, Elanna is framed for it and must escape certain death. That escape leads her to the leaders of her homeland rebellion, the people desperate to free Caeris. At first, Elanna's skeptical of their cause, but when she can no longer deny her own magic, she becomes dedicated to the cause. And because it's YA fantasy, there's a romance.
The good: I really like the concept of Caeris as a land-- semi-sentient, guarded, the shifts. I liked that Elanna was, of all things, a botanist, which ties in well to her role in Caeris.
The bad: I had a hard time getting into this, and at times, it felt SO LONG and disjointed. I couldn't work up to caring about the love interest or what would happen to Elanna, because of COURSE she'd come out all right in the end, and she wasn't engaging enough for me as a character. This felt very much like a first book, but I'll still read any sequels.
blodeuedd's review against another edition
1.0
I did feel it started of fairly good (sure she annoyed me at the start, but I could work with it.)
But at the middle I was just...meh. Everything that had annoyed me still did and I just do not know.
When she is 5 her nurse is killed, she is helt at gunpoint and she is taken as a hostage.
14 years later she loves the man who took her hostage as a father.
She hates her parents for abandoning her.
She hates her people and think they are filthy peasants.
I get Stockholm syndrome, but still.
She continues to feel this way, you are a grown woman! What could your parents have done?!
The whole deal with the declaring war was over and with too easily.
I want more of her magic. And stop her whining.
She sure did not care for her friends.
OK I am changing this to not like, sigh.
But at the middle I was just...meh. Everything that had annoyed me still did and I just do not know.
When she is 5 her nurse is killed, she is helt at gunpoint and she is taken as a hostage.
14 years later she loves the man who took her hostage as a father.
She hates her parents for abandoning her.
She hates her people and think they are filthy peasants.
I get Stockholm syndrome, but still.
She continues to feel this way, you are a grown woman! What could your parents have done?!
The whole deal with the declaring war was over and with too easily.
I want more of her magic. And stop her whining.
She sure did not care for her friends.
OK I am changing this to not like, sigh.
alanna131's review against another edition
3.0
There were good and bad things about this book, so it's a really solid 3 for me.
Bad things: I really could NOT connect with the narrator/protagonist. She talked about how she had such strong feelings about everything, but flipped on a dime to keep the story moving. If the story hadn't moved so quickly, it could have helped. *spoiler* As in, if she had spent longer traveling with her companions to slowly come around to the cause, rather than flipping as soon as she arrived at her destination, that could have helped. *end spoiler* There were a lot of examples of something that was introduced, annoyingly agonized over for a few pages, and then immediately solved. If she had fewer problems to solve in one book, it could have let the problems breathe a little. *spoiler* For example, the whole "land shifts" thing was introduced in the last quarter of the book, then it was discovered that, of course, it was used by the enemy, but, of course, that enemy isn't going to use it any more. If those had been present throughout the beginning, and it was slowly discovered that other people were using them when they weren't supposed to, I would have felt more emotion about them. *end spoiler*
Second, I also didn't like the time period it was set in. I felt like it would have been way cooler set in a sort of medieval time period instead of a late 1700s/early 1800s type place. I kept forgetting it was set there, until she mentioned a musket or a particular piece of dialogue that sounded like it was trying to imitate Pride and Prejudice. The dialogue could be jarring at times because the narrator didn't think in that kind of language, but she spoke that way. It was quite disjointed.
Good things: I did actually like this book, despite my rant! I liked the other characters around her and I think it was saved by the cool premise. The land magic was cool, although it could have been explored way, way more. *spoiler* She should have been sent to the mountain lords immediately and spent the whole book there learning about her magic. She really only spent like a few days there before leaving. And of course they skipped the council meeting of the mountain lords entirely. I would have loved to read about that! *spoiler end*
Shoot, I regressed into venting again. I was trying to say that I actually did like this book! Just didn't love it.
Bad things: I really could NOT connect with the narrator/protagonist. She talked about how she had such strong feelings about everything, but flipped on a dime to keep the story moving. If the story hadn't moved so quickly, it could have helped. *spoiler* As in, if she had spent longer traveling with her companions to slowly come around to the cause, rather than flipping as soon as she arrived at her destination, that could have helped. *end spoiler* There were a lot of examples of something that was introduced, annoyingly agonized over for a few pages, and then immediately solved. If she had fewer problems to solve in one book, it could have let the problems breathe a little. *spoiler* For example, the whole "land shifts" thing was introduced in the last quarter of the book, then it was discovered that, of course, it was used by the enemy, but, of course, that enemy isn't going to use it any more. If those had been present throughout the beginning, and it was slowly discovered that other people were using them when they weren't supposed to, I would have felt more emotion about them. *end spoiler*
Second, I also didn't like the time period it was set in. I felt like it would have been way cooler set in a sort of medieval time period instead of a late 1700s/early 1800s type place. I kept forgetting it was set there, until she mentioned a musket or a particular piece of dialogue that sounded like it was trying to imitate Pride and Prejudice. The dialogue could be jarring at times because the narrator didn't think in that kind of language, but she spoke that way. It was quite disjointed.
Good things: I did actually like this book, despite my rant! I liked the other characters around her and I think it was saved by the cool premise. The land magic was cool, although it could have been explored way, way more. *spoiler* She should have been sent to the mountain lords immediately and spent the whole book there learning about her magic. She really only spent like a few days there before leaving. And of course they skipped the council meeting of the mountain lords entirely. I would have loved to read about that! *spoiler end*
Shoot, I regressed into venting again. I was trying to say that I actually did like this book! Just didn't love it.
merrikat's review against another edition
2.0
I thought there was a lot of potential that was not fully explored. The power to "wake the land", to see through forest creatures' eyes, to feel rivers flowing through your veins, I really wish that this kind of magic would have been dug into even more in the course of the story.
My main concern was the characters. Elanna, the protagonist, constantly grinded my gears. I often found her to very unsreasonable und unlikeable. Relationships to other characters, most of them with very little background of their own, felt somehow superficial and shallow. I just couldn't get emotionally involved enough to be really affected by their fates.
I think these factors were most prominent in the first part of the book, as they were so central in Elanna figuring out her loyalties and position in the war between her two home countries. As a reader, one cannot relate.
I enjoyed the later chapters, once Elanna has more of a direction and feels a purpose, a lot more; and I am a little bit curious about the following novels after all.
My main concern was the characters. Elanna, the protagonist, constantly grinded my gears. I often found her to very unsreasonable und unlikeable. Relationships to other characters, most of them with very little background of their own, felt somehow superficial and shallow. I just couldn't get emotionally involved enough to be really affected by their fates.
I think these factors were most prominent in the first part of the book, as they were so central in Elanna figuring out her loyalties and position in the war between her two home countries. As a reader, one cannot relate.
I enjoyed the later chapters, once Elanna has more of a direction and feels a purpose, a lot more; and I am a little bit curious about the following novels after all.